Spoonful of sugar?

Mary Poppins is a classic Disney movie. There are many musical scenes to this movie that involves a singing nanny. One of the songs in this movie is called "A Spoonful of Sugar". The basis of this song is that work can sometimes be fun. While this theme is repeated through metaphors throughout the piece, it is mentioned multiple times that "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down".

I am not a doctor by any means, but I don't think the best way to take medicine is with sugar. What if you were going to take a couple of aspirin. Would you have to put the capsules on to the spoon?

Another problem I have with this advice is the addiction. If people did give their children their medicine with a spoonful of sugar there would be a problem. Soon children would be faking sickness, not to get out of school but for the sugar. They would then be overdosing, and what the parents thought would be helping their children (the medicine) would soon be hurting them.

The bottom line
This song should not be played for young children. The repitivness of the sugar statement will get into their heads. Soon they will be throwing tantrums unless they get their sugary dose of meds.


Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net